All Bets Are Off (What To Wear To Royal Ascot)

Posted 12th June 2018

Royal Ascot is only one week away and I thought it was a perfect time to do a little blog post about what to wear at the races. I have been going to Ascot for a few years now and I look forward to it every year. The dressing up and wearing of unusual hats – I love the excitement of placing the bets and the fact that it’s totally acceptable to start drinking champagne at 11 am.

If you have never been to Ascot before you might be surprised to find out that there is a strict dress code – not just any dress will do. For the Queen Anne Enclosure (the main one) ladies are encouraged to dress in a manner as befits a formal occasion and note the following:

A hat, headpiece or fascinator should be worn at all times.

Strapless or sheer strap dresses and tops are not permitted. That includes off the shoulder, bardot style and one shoulder dresses.

Trouser suit and jumpsuits must be full length and worn with a top that adheres to the guidelines above.

Midriffs must be covered.

Shorts are not permitted.

I believe there are slightly different rules for different enclosures but if you follow these you should be covered.

For three years in a row now I wore dresses from Chi Chi London as I felt they suited the occasion. That’s why I picked one of their designs for this blog post. This beautiful floral dress meets all the guidelines and even has pockets! I will be wearing a different dress next Tuesday and if you want to see it, keep an eye on my Instagram 😉